Finding roots of Twelve

Nowhere is the distinction between exegesis and eisegesis clearer
than in our interpretation of "the Twelve."

We exegete Scripture when we try to surface the meaning which the
sacred authors originally intended to convey in their writings. We
eisegete when we ignore the writers' meaning, and insert our own
thoughts and agendas into the text.

The authors of the Christian Scriptures employ three terms when
they speak of Jesus' followers: disciples, apostles and the Twelve.
A disciple is any follower of Jesus; an apostle, a disciple sent by
Jesus on a special mission; the Twelve is simply the Twelve. We
surface its meaning only by combining the Jewish symbolism of the
number with the historical Jesus' unique ministry.

Reformer

Those who regard Jesus solely as the divine founder of a new
religion ignore the sacred authors' intentions and eisegete the
Twelve into Jesus' first priests or bishops (or even as His
"college of Cardinals!").

These people forget the earliest writers of the Christian Scripture
regard Jesus more as a reformer of Judaism than as the founder of
Christianity, a perspective which gives a totally different meaning
to the Twelve. These authors cast Jesus in the mold of prophets
like Amos, people who minister not as religious innovators, but as
consciences for a religion they already profess. Prophets always
call people to return to the beginnings of their faith.

In the first reading (Amos 7: 12-15), Amaziah tries to kick Amos
out of Bethel. This nomadic shepherd runs afoul of the shrine's
religious leader because he challenge people to return to the faith
of their ancestors a faith which existed before shrines and
liturgies, before priests and kings, a faith revolving solely
around one's relationship with Yahweh and Yahweh's people.

Amos's message has rarely been heard at Bethel. The "shrine
prophets" -- preachers on Amaziah's payroll -- never teach pilgrims
anything beyond the relatively recent traditions and customs that
serve the interests, egos and pockets of their religious bosses. No
wonder Amos recoils at being called a prophet.

Significant number

Amos's ministry reminds us that Jesus, as prophet, also calls His
disciples to return to the beginnings of faith. But the carpenter
from Galilee employs a unique piece of symbolism to remind people
of those roots: the Twelve. Jesus and His audience know that each
Jew belongs to one of Israel's 12 tribes. So, anyone preaching
reform, accompanied by "the Twelve," is telling His hearers that
He's expecting them to take their faith back to the days of Jacob
and his 12 sons, a period 500 years before the Exodus and Moses,
just three generations after Abraham.

It's of no consequence that Matthew, Mark and Luke differ on the
Twelve's individual names. As long as Jesus' group consists of 12
men who parallel Jacob's 12 sons, the prophetic symbolism is
intact.

In the Gospel (Mk 6: 7-12), we see that Jesus also employs the
Twelve to show that His ministry isn't just a "one-man show." What
He does, His followers are expected to do. The Twelve are to share His mindset; no worry about personal comfort, no house hopping to
find the best bed or food, no regrets about not being listened to.
They preach the same repentance Jesus preaches; they proclaim the
same life-giving message Jesus proclaims. Paul has no other choice
but to remind his Ephesians community of their dependence on Jesus
(Eph 1: 3-14). "God...has blessed us in Christ," he writes, "with
every spiritual blessing....He chose us in Him...to be holy and
without blemish....In love He destined us for adoption to
Himself."

Paul's reminder only makes sense if all Christians are expected to
carry on Jesus' ministry. Modern prophets constantly challenge us
to return to this early Christian conviction. Faith built on any
other premise simply isn't the faith of Jesus.
(07-13-00)